Doll device



P. SHAW DOLL DEVICE Aug. '14, 1962 Filed Jan. 26, 1959 INVENTOR Prudence Shaw PM. 9 ATTORNEYS United States Patent Ofiice 3,M8,941 Patented Aug. 14, 1962 3,il48,941 DOLL DEVICE Prudence Shaw, RFD. ll, Lyons, Ohio, assignor of one-third to Fred C. Philpitt Filed Jan. 26, 1959, Ser. No. 789,069 3 Claims. (Cl. 46-116) This invention generally relates to a novel doll device. More particularly, this invention relates to a doll device comprising a base and a tiltable head.

As is Well known, young children, and particularly young girls, derive a great deal of enjoyment from playing with various types of dolls. Young girls particularly like to emulate the action of their adult mothers insofar as the daily activities of the mothers are concerned. One of these activities with which all children are familiar is the washing, drying, curling and setting of hair.

An object of this invention is to provide a doll device which will enable young girls to easily wash, dry and curl a dolls hair.

The Invention, Broadly in its broadest conception, the present invention is believed to encompass a novel toy device comprising a doll head section resembling a human female head having affixed thereto a washable material resembling hair; a base portion upon which said doll head section is mounted, and means for attaching said doll head to said base portion in such a manner that said head can be tilted backwardly from a normally upright position.

in a narrow concept the present invention encompasses a novel toy device comprising in combination a doll head section resembling a human female head and containing a washable material resembling hair, a base portion upon which said doll head section is mounted, means for attaching said doll head to said base portion in such a manner that said head section can be tilted backwardly from a normally upright position and a basin frame member which is adapted to receive a basin.

FIGURE 1 is a perspective view of a novel doll device in accordance with this invention.

FIGURES 2 and 3 are side views of the doll device shown in FIGURE 1 wherein the doll head is in a horizontal and vertical position, respectively.

FIGURE 4 is a side view of another embodiment of the present invention.

The Doll Head Section The doll head section can take any one of a number of specific forms, as will be readily evident to those skilled in this art. In its simplest form the doll head section need only consist of a three dimensional repsentation of a human female head having washable hair affixed thereon. For example, in FIGURES 1 through 4 the doll head section is shown as consisting of a face Ill and hair 12. The face portion preferably includes only the neck and possibly the upper shoulder portion, but if desired it might also include more of the body portion, The hair preferably consists of either natural hair or some durable synthetic plastic material such as Saran, polyethylene, nylon, etc., but it may also consist of materials made partly or entirely from cotton, wool, rayon, yarn, etc. The hair may pass through the skull or it may be imbedded in the skull or it may be ad hesively bonded to the skull. Whatever means is employed, the hair should be affixed sufiiciently strongly so that it will not come loose during normal handling and washing operations.

The Base Portion The doll head section is positioned on the top of a base portion. The size and shape of the base portion is not critical, but it preferably has at least one portion of its upper surface fiat enough to support the aforementioned doll head section. A base portion having a rectangular, round or square shape is probably the simplest and most economical to manufacture.

Although the primary function of the base portion is to support and elevate the doll head section, the base portion may also be constructed so that it can serve several additional functions. For example, as is shown in FIGURES I through 4 the base portion consists of end sections 14, front section 16, top section 18, and back section 19, and it may also be provided with one or more drawers or trays 22. The drawers and trays may be used as containers for pins, combs, soap, etc.

The Doll Head Section Attaching Means The doll head section is attached to the base portion in such a manner that the doll head section can be tilted backwardly from its normally upright position. The normally upright position of the head is shown in FIG- URE l and the fully tilted portion of the head is shown in FIGURE 2. One of the simplest ways to attach the doll head section so it can move relative to the base portion in the above described manner is to utilize a hinge-type construction. Such a hinge-type construction is shown in FIGURES 1 through 4, wherein 24 is the lower half of the hinge, 25 is the upper half of the hinge and 28 is the pin about which the two hinge halves pivot. Hinge 26 may be fastened to the bottom portion of the doll head section by screws or adhesive and likewise hinge 24 may be joined to the base portion by means of screws or adhesive. It is preferable that some readily detachable means be provided for joining hinges 24 and 26 together when desired to maintain the doll head in the upright position shown in FIGURE 1. One of the best ways of achieving this is to make each of the hinges 24 and 26 magnetic so that there will be an automatic attractive force set up whenever these members are brought into close proximity, but at the same time not such a strong force that it could not readily be disengaged by a child. Another engaging and disengaging means could simply consist of a snap-lock means, such as is shown as 30 in FIGURES 1 and 2. Snap-lock means of this type are well known to those skilled in this art and might be attached to either hinge 24 or 26 and/ or the doll head section and/ or the base portion.

The Basin and Basin Frame Member Although not necessary, it is preferred that the toy device of this invention include a basin in which water may be placed for washing the dolls hair when the doll head is tilted backwardly. The basin may be a very simple cup-like container of nearly any shape. The basin may be placed directly under the dolls head when the dolls head is tilted backwardly. For example, in FIGURE 4 the doll head may be tilted backwardly as shown, the backward movement of the doll head being limited by prop member 45. A basin of water maybe placed directly below the hair 12 and the hair washed therein. However, since children are frequently careless 'with water, it is preferred that the toy device of this invention also include a frame member 32 having an interior cut-out portion 34, having a configuration corresponding to the outer perimeter of the wash basin 36 and preferably slightly smaller than the outer perimeter of the wash basin so that a fairly tight pressure fit is effected. If the outer upper edge of the basin 36 is flanged outwardly slightly a suitable fit is usually effected. Frame member 32 can either consist of one-half of a hinge or be attached to one half of a hinge, the remainder of the hinge consisting of pin 38 and lower hinge portion 40 which is joined to the back portion 19 by screws, adhesive, etc. Frame member 32 may have a flop-leg member 4 2 which is associated with appropriate pivot means 44. Leg member 42 lends support to the frame member 32, particularly when the frame member 32 is in a horizontal position and a basin of Water is placed within the frame member. A plurality of frog-leg members 42 may be employed.

What is claimed:

1. A novel toy device for children comprising in combination (a) a doll head section resembling a human female head which contains a washable material resemling hair,

(17) a base portion having an upper surface upon which said doll head section is adapted to be supported in a vertical position, said base portion being adapted to support said doll head section in any position in which the doll head section may be disposed,

() means for hingedly attaching said doll head section to said base portion in such a manner that said doll head section can be tilted from a normally vertical position to a substantially horizontal position,

(d) the doll head section in its tilted substantially horizontal position being disposed so that said washable material resembling hair on said doll head section will extend downwardly, and

(e) a basin frame member which is hingedly attached to said base portion in such a manner that the basin frame member can be tilted from a normally vertical position to a substantially horizontal position, the interior periphery of said basin frame member being adapted to receive and hold a wash basin for washing the hair of the doll head section.

2. A toy device according to claim 1 wherein said basin frame member is supported in the desired horizontal position by at least one supporting leg member.

3. A novel toy for children comprising in combination: (a) a doll head section resembling only the neck and head of a human female, said head containing a washable material resembling hair,

(b) a stationary elevated base portion having an upper substantially flat surface upon which only said head section is adapted to be supported in a vertical position, said stationary base portion being adapted to support said doll head section in any position in which the doll head section may be disposed, and

(0) means for hingedly attaching said doll head section to said substantially flat upper surface of the base portion in such a manner that the entire doll head section can be tilted from a normally vertical position backwardly to a substantially horizontal position.

(d) the doll head section in its backwardly tilted substantially horizontal position being disposed so that said washable material resembling hair on said doll head section will extend downwardly.

References Cited in the file of this pate t 

